Surgical smoke evacuation systems are designed to capture the smoke and plume generated during surgical procedures in which there is thermal destruction of tissue or bone. The plume from vaporized tissue contains small particles and gases that could be potentially hazardous. If not evacuated the materials can become airborne and deposit in the respiratory tracts of the surgical team. The type of surgical instruments, the characteristics of tissue, and the surgeon=s technique affect the quantity and characteristics of the smoke plume. A surgical smoke evacuator is in essence a vacuum pump, usually footswitch operated, that incorporates one or more filters to remove particles from the suctioned air-stream at the surgical site. A hose, typically of plastic, disposable or reusable, connects the pump to a disposable or autoclavable wand serving as a nozzle that is usually held about 5 cm. from the tissue to remove smoke generated by the surgical procedure. Because the constraints of some surgical procedures can prevent placement of the nozzle close to the tissue, smoke evacuators should capture smoke effectively at up to 15 cm. Adequate protection from potentially dangerous smoke plume can only be achieved when the plume is successfully captured before it comes into contact with the patient and surgical staff. This smoke entrainment requires that the evacuator airflow change the smoke direction and draw it into the hose via the wand.
An example of a smoke evacuation system is described in our U.S. Pat. No. 6,001,077, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference, and is commercially-available from Ellman International, Inc. of Oceanside, N.Y. This system features a viral paper filter in the suction hose and a charcoal filter inside the system housing. Changing the hose filter requires disassembling the hose and removing and disposing of the filter assembly, and reinstalling a fresh filter. Changing the charcoal filter requires opening of the housing, removing the filter bowl for the filter, and replacing the spent filter with a new filter and reassembling. This can be unnecessarily time consuming.